Education dept to expand social media presence
NEW DELHI: As schools in the city open up after being shut for more than a year owing to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Delhi government has decided to engage an agency to ensure increased social media presence of the education department and enhance community outreach for policies that concern schools and education, said a senior government official on Friday.
The initiative, the official said will help the government improve communication and outreach on social media where several students and their parents have active presence.
Schools in Delhi were closed for 10 months in the light of the Covid-19 pandemic, with in-person classes for Class 10 and 12 students starting on January 18. The schools have been asked only to call students with the consent of the parents and follow all the Covid-19 precautions. On February 5, schools were opened for classes 9 and 11.
“The agency will be entrusted with spreading information through social media platforms, manage the social media handles, profiles and pages for the education department, digital media management, writing and posting blogs about schools, colleges and education policies, do info-graphics, generate videos, design social media campaigns, and engage in fact-checks and generate content against any kind of misinformation,” said the senior official, who did not wish to be identified.
The official further said, “The agency will also be entrusted with using social and digital media to engage with stakeholders on policies apart from aiming to enhance community outreach. The agency should have a good understanding and experience of engaging with citizens groups, civil social groups and the youth. Schools are reopening after the Covid-19 pandemic and the government needs impactful strategies on the front of communication.”
The Delhi government had floated a tender in this regard on February 5 and the bidding process for the same will close on February 26, read the tender document, which HT has seen.
“The team should have familiarity with keyword placement and other social media best practices, including Twitter trends, hashtags, Lives on Facebook and Twitter and other evolving trends,” the tender document read.
The document further said that the objectives of the project would include ensuring awareness about education policies, real-time response on queries flagged on social media accounts after due consultation with the department, publishing “success stories” concerning the department and government schools, and increasing transparency.
Delhi education minister Manish Sisodia said, “We have to equip our students with 21st century skills. These days even teachers use social media in many ways to learn things from across the globe and implement that in the classroom. Using social media for better communication and outreach is essential at this stage.”
DELHI POLICE
HAVE ARRESTED FIVE PERSONS IN CONNECTION WITH THE MURDER THAT TOOK PLACE ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT
NEW DELHI: A political blame game erupted between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Congress over the murder of 25-year-old Mangolpuri resident Rinku Sharma, which took a communal angle as posts circulated by political leaders over social media gained popularity on Friday.
While the AAP and the Congress questioned the deteriorating law and order situation in Delhi demanding home minister Amit Shah’s intervention, the ruling BJP questioned Delhi chief minister’s Arvind Kejriwal “silence” on the matter and demanded a compensation of ₹1 crore for Sharma’s family. Some BJP leaders on social media asked for “justice” for Sharma, with one of them, Kapil Mishra even suggesting he was killed for collecting money for the Ram temple in Ayodhya.
Delhi Police have arrested five persons in connection with the murder that took place on Wednesday night, and have maintained that Sharma’s death was on account of personal enmity, and a dispute that arose at a birthday party.
On Friday, president of Delhi BJP Adesh Gupta said: “Why is Kejriwal silent on Rinku’s murder?... AAP leaders in the Delhi government leaders announce compensation and condemn such incidents when they go to UP, Bengal, MP and other states. But when such incidents take place in Delhi, the CM doesn’t even utter a word. The state government should give a compensation of ₹1 crore to the family.”
BJP leader Kapil Mishra claimed on Twitter that Sharma was murdered by “jihadis. He said on Twitter that since the person who died had a Hindu name, the CM would not step in to help the family financially. Mishra also urged people to come forward and collect money for the family.
Gupta and BJP parliamentarian Hans Raj Hans visited Sharma’s family on Friday. Hans Raj Hans also met senior police officials and demanded speedy probe into the matter. Separately, AAP legislator Rakhi Birla also paid the family a visit.
The AAP released a statement on Friday stating that the law and order situation in Delhi needed improvement. “The lawand-order situation in Delhi has badly deteriorated. Many such incidents show that the MHA (Union minister of home affairs) has failed to maintain the lawand-order situation in Delhi. We strongly condemn this gruesome killing and urge the MHA to take urgent steps to restore people’s faith in the law-and-order system of Delhi.”
AAP spokesperson Saurabh Bhardwaj tweeted, “Rinku Sharma’s murder is a blot on humanity. The guilty should be given the strictest punishment in accordance with the law. Also, Union home minister Amit Shah should immediately convene a meeting with the elected government in Delhi on the law-and-order situation in Delhi. Necessary steps should be taken to ensure that such incidents do not happen again. Otherwise, things like this would keep repeating.”
The Congress, too, hit out at the ruling BJP for deteriorating law and order situation in the city. “Crime rate in Delhi is increasing in the city. In the past one year, rioters have tried to damage the city. Due to the current law and order situation, such anti-social elements feel emboldened. Strict action should be taken against those involved in Rinku Sharma’s murder,” Delhi Congress vicepresident Abhishek Dutt said.